Cochise County to host holistic land management classes

Cochise County is taking a holistic approach to land management and restoration.

Classes will be offered to the public, and those who complete the course, hosted by Cochise County, will become an accredited professional in Holistic Management.

The classes are being conducted as part of a project spearheaded by the county's Highway/Floodplain Department to restore 480 acres of fallowed farmland located about one mile north of Palominas, on the Palominas/Three Canyons Recharge Network property.

The county has engaged Phoenix-based Holistic Engineering and Land Management (HELM) to develop restoration alternatives using a holistic management approach.This means taking into consideration human, economic and environmental needs when it comes to managing land.

Problems with soil erosion, due to storm water runoff, have prompted Cochise County to search for viable alternatives to restore prairie grass to the Palominas property, and protect the nearby San Pedro River.

Both HELM and the county will develop a plan for restoration, to include a grazing program for livestock. The subsequent impact will be an increased capacity for the soil to hold water, preventing excessive flooding and erosion near the river.

A monitoring program will also be developed to quantify how improved soil and vegetation characteristics can address erosion and flooding, as well as improve the land's economic viability.

This entire process will give Holistic Management course participants the intensive, hands-on experience they will need to become accredited. There will also be an online training component.

The training course begins in December with the Fundamentals of Holistic Management, and continues in January with financial planning and planned grazing, followed by land planning and ecological monitoring in February.

The cost to participate in these classes is $1,500 per person and attendance is capped at 20 students. The online training, which is an additional cost, is available at arizonasavoryhub.com where you will receive a discount code.

You need to complete both the online and hands-on training, followed by an exit interview, to receive a certificate of accreditation.

Alternatively, you can take just the introductory class, Fundamentals of Holistic Management, at a cost of $300. The remaining classes must be taken together.